Staying up late may increase the risk of breast cancer

Breast cancer is one of the most common malignant tumors in women, and the majority of patients are women between the ages of 40 and 60 and those before and after menopause. Female friends all know that lack of sleep can affect skin health and mood, so can lack of sleep induce breast cancer?

As we all know, almost all organisms, from single-celled organisms to humans, have rhythmic and periodic changes in their life activities. Sleep and wakefulness are one of the physiological activities of the circadian cycle, and the disorder of sleep rhythm will bring many adverse effects on health.

Relevant statistics show that the risk of breast cancer for night shift workers (such as nurses, flight attendants, etc.) is 1.4 to 1.5 times that of normal people. Some researchers believe that the reason why staying up late leads to an increase in the incidence of breast cancer is the decrease in melatonin secretion, and a decrease in melatonin levels increases the risk of cancer. Melatonin is secreted by the pineal gland in the brain, and this secretion is also circadian, with almost no secretion during the day and increased secretion at night. In vitro studies have shown that melatonin can inhibit the growth of a variety of tumor cells. For those who often stay up late and work night shifts, bright lights will inhibit the secretion of melatonin, which may increase the risk of breast cancer.

Although this conclusion has not yet been confirmed, for the sake of health, female friends should try to ensure adequate and regular sleep.